Invisible
by Kai5
Summary: Shinobu is always helping out Keitaro and it's obvious that she likes him, but he's too dense to notice. Can a stranger help Shinobu to finally tell Keitaro how she really feels about him? AU-ish. Chapter 3 up.
1. Prologue: A New Arrival

Author's Note: This is a bit of an AU if you will. This takes place after episode 16 I think it was...well, whenever the gang returns from the beach is when this story takes place I'm making a slight change by mixing the manga and anime together. While Sarah was trapped on the island with Su and Kitsune in the anime, she was stuck with Keitaro and Naru in the manga, so I'll be going with that.

  


Disclaimer: Yes, I do own Love Hina...or at least in my dreams anyways. No...unfortunately, reality has chosen Ken Akamatsu to be the owner of Love Hina, lucky...

  
  
  
  
  


Love Hina Fanfic - Invisible

  
  
  
  
  
  


"So...?"

  


"_Nani_?" replied Naru.

  


"What happened? You know, when you and Keitaro were on that island alone with Sarah," said Kitsune, with a grin on her face.

  


"N-Nothing!" was what both Keitaro and Naru blurted out. Kitsune could not help but smile.

  


"Oy, oy. Wait 'til we get back to Hinata-Sou before you guys start with the gossip, okay?"

  


"_Hai_ Haruka-_san_."

  


The group had just stepped off of the train a few minutes ago and were now making their way up the steps to the Hinata-Sou. Kitsune did most of the talking, while Naru and Keitaro tried their hardest to convince the free-lance writer that nothing happened between them. When they reached the top of the stairs, they noticed that there was someone sitting in front of the doors that led into the Hinata-Sou. The person was leaning against the doors and had their head down.

  


"_Ano_..." started Keitaro. That was when the person looked up at Keitaro, with a face that much resembled that of a skeleton.

  


"Help me..."

  


"AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! IT'S A GHOST!!!!!!"

  


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  


"Ah! I'm saved!" cried the stranger as he gulped down his eighth glass of water while stuffing his face with the tenth plate of food that Shinobu had prepared for him. 

  


"_Ano_...maybe you should slow down. You might choke if you eat that fast," offered Naru. The stranger took no heed and continued to stuff his face, until he suddenly stopped and began pounding at his chest. "What did I tell you?" she said, before handing him another glass of water. He swiped it out of her hands and downed it in less than a second, before breathing a sigh of relief. "I thought I was a goner! It's been like...a week since I last ate."

  


"Are you finally finished?" asked Naru.

  


"_Hai_, _hai_," said the stranger while nodding his head. "_Arigato_ little lady, that food was delicious." Shinobu could not help but blush a little bit at the comment.

  


"Well, I guess you can start telling us who you are then, since you're done."

  


"Oh? Ah, that's right. I haven't introduced myself yet. My name's Kobayashi Koji, nice to meet you."

  


"Ah. I'm Urashima Keitaro. The violent girl over there is Narusegawa Naru," he said with a snicker.

  


"What did you say?!" yelled Naru before punching him in the face, a blow which sent Keitaro flying through the wall and into orbit. Koji could not help but chuckle nervously and make a mental note to himself never to get on her bad side.

  


"Since our _baka kanrinin _is gone, I guess I'll finish the introductions," offered Naru. "Aoyama Motoko is the girl with the sword. Su Kaolla is...hey! Su, stop trying to eat Tama-_chan_! ...this is Konno Mitsune..." she said, gesturing to her old friend.

  


"Hiyo! That's my real name, but around here I'm known as Kitsune."

  


"You've met the previous _kanrinin_, Urashima Haruka. And over there is Maehara Shinobu, our resident cook. She's the one who made all that food for you."

  


"Oh, I see!" exclaimed Koji, who then got up and made his way over to Shinobu. "_Arigato_ Maehara-_san_."

  


"_Ano_..."

  


Koji smiled at Shinobu, which caused her to blush an even deeper shade of red. He patted her on the head gently before turning around to face the others.

  


"So how come you were at our front door Kobayashi-_san_?" asked Kitsune.

  


"Well, it's kind of hard to say. However, what I can say is that I'm trying to get into _Toudai_ right now, and I kind of need a place to stay. Last I heard, this place was a hotel."

  


Everyone blinked in surprise. "Well...it was. Now it's a girl's dormitory," replid Naru.

  


"That's troublesome," said Koji, a smile still plastered on his face. "Don't suppose you girls can make an exception?"

  


Though Motoko had been quiet up until now, she could remain silent no more. "Absolutely not. It's unheard of to have a man as the manager of a girl's dormitory in the first place, but the only reason Urashima has even been allowed to stay is because no one else will agree to be our manager. So, in a way, we need Urashima. However, this is not the case with Kobayashi. There is no reason for us to allow him to reside here."

  


"That's pretty harsh..." mumbled Kitsune.

  


"The truth is often harsh," countered Motoko.

  


"Is there no way to convince you Aoyama-_san_?" asked Koji.

  


"_Iie_."

  


"What if I were to best you in combat? Would you allow me to stay here at the Hinata-Sou?"

  


"_Nani_? A weakling such as you wishes to challenge me to combat?! You don't stand a chance."

  


"We'll never know unless we actually go at it, will we?" replied Koji, that smile still on his face.

  


"Very well. With this sword, I will wipe that smile off your face. Then you will leave this place, forever."

  


---

  


Author's Note: It was a tad long-winded, but it is the first chapter. I had to lay down all the groundwork, and introduce my new character. Hopefully my next chapter will be better...if that's the right word to use. Motoko-_chan_ and Koji-_kun_ will indeed go head-to-head. I've got so many ideas floating through my head, I'm afraid that I'm gonna screw this fic up. This is like...the second or third fic I've ever written, so forgive me if it's bad. Please review it if you read it.


	2. Showdown of Fate part 1: Destiny

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I'll try to update the fic regularly, and since Christmas break is approaching, I'll probably have more time to write then...oh, and just a little FYI thing here, everyone has relocated into the mountains for this fight. The duel is taking place in front of the waterfall that Motoko stood under in previous episode. The actual episode number escapes me.

  


Disclaimer: Love Hina belongs to Ken Akamatsu. I'm just infringing on copyright.

  
  
  


Love Hina Fanfic - Invisible

  
  
  


"You may have courage Kobayashi. But courage alone will not allow you to triumph."

  


"No, I guess it won't. However...it's too late to back out now even if I wanted to. Good thing I'm the type that likes to finish what I start," retorted Koji.

  


"That is an admirable trait. If I had the choice to choose Urashima or you as _kanrinin_ of the Hinata-Sou, I believe I would select you. You seem to be an honorable man with qualities much better than those of Urashima." (Off on the side, Keitaro cries. _Am I really that bad?_) "However, fate is a fickle goddess, and so your fate shall be determined by this duel. The time for talk is now over. Let our actions in battle do the talking for us."

  


Koji nodded in agreement, but he didn't make a move. _Is he so arrogant that he has chosen to leave himself wide open? Either that, or it has to be the most lax fighting stance I have ever seen. Iie...I'm getting distracted. I must concentrate on the battle that is upon us._ After that, Motoko closed her eyes and cleared her mind, trying to reach a zen-like state. For a moment, neither combatant moved an inch. A breeze swept through the area and blew a single leaf off one of the nearby trees. It slowly floated down, and at the very instant in which it hit the ground, Motoko moved to strike.

  


Motoko rushed towards Koji with incredible speed. With her left hand holding the sheathe of her blade, she reached over with her right hand to take hold of the hilt. Koji was still standing in the same spot, having not made a move at all. _Hmph, weakling. He dares to underestimate my abilities? I shall end this duel with a single strike._ In a motion too fast for the other residents of the Hinata-Sou to see, Motoko drew her sword, struck, and returned the blade to its sheathe in one smooth motion. "It is over..." she declared.

  


"Wow, you're fast. But...I'm just a bit faster."

  


Motoko's eyes flashed open (Author's note: She had closed her eyes after she struck) and she turned around to see Koji, that smile still on his face. She detested that smile now, and wanted nothing more than to remove it from his face.

  


"If speed is all you possess, then you have already lost. Sooner or later, one of my blows will connect. And when that happens, I will be victorious."

  


"I'll bet. But...that depends on whether you can get me before I get you."

  


Koji's smile grew even wider, if that were possible, and Motoko could not help but take a step back. She tried her best to suppress her emotions, but she was unsuccessful. Beads of sweat trickled down her forehead. _His...his aura! I've never felt anything like this before! The amount of chi he possesses is astonishing. How...how could I not have noticed it until now?!_

  
  


---

  
  


"_Ano...sempai_?"

  


"_Hai_, Shinobu-_chan_?"

  


"I'm sure you noticed already but...Kobayashi-_san_ does not have a weapon, whereas Motoko-_san_ has her sword. Is it possible for him to win without a weapon?"

  


"To be honest, I'm not sure," Keitaro replied. "But I'm guessing if anyone can, he can." The battle Motoko had with Seta had obviously escaped his mind.

  


"Go Motoko, go Motoko!!!" cheered Su, who was hanging onto Keitaro. As she cheered, she tightened the hold she had on Keitaro's neck. As a result, his eyes started bulging and he started staggering around.

  


"Ack! Not so tight Su! I'm ch-choking!" Soon after, he slumped down to the ground in a sitting position. His eyes were swirling, but Su hadn't noticed. She was still too busy cheering Motoko on. "Ah! _Sempai_!"

  
  


---

  
  


_It...it must be a trick. No one can possess that much chi, it's...it's impossible! Yes, that's it. He must be doing this to try and intimidate me. It almost worked, but I'm too smart for that._ "Your trick has failed Kobayashi. If you surrender now, I will allow you to leave and no harm will befall you. But if you wish to continue...then I will no longer hold back."

  


"You mean you were holding back? Honestly, I thought you were giving it your all. _Gomen_, my mistake," Koji replied with a chuckle as he scratched the back of his head.

  


"You dare mock me, you weakling?!" Motoko lifted her sword above her head, blade pointed straight up into the air, and grasped the handle with both hands. "Gods' Cry School Sword Technique: Air-Splitting Strike!" She then swung her sword at Koji, creating a blast of chi that hurtled towards her opponent at amazing speed.

  


"Most impressive. You have a strong chi Aoyama-_san_, however, your technique is less than perfect. Allow me to show you why." With that Koji lifted up his right leg, and kicked the ground in front of him, at an angle, hard. The impact caused dirt and small pebbles to float up, right into the path of Motoko's attack. The chi blast collided with the dust cloud and vaporized the dirt and pebbles, but the blast had been effectively neutralized.

  


"He...he countered my attack effortlessly..." Motoko said, obviously stunned at what just transpired. "But...but how? I mastered that technique long ago..."

  


By this time Koji had already made his way behind Motoko for a second time. "Word of advice: it's quite poor, speaking strictly from a strategic point of view, to have your back facing your opponent so often." Moving on pure reflex and raw instinct, Motoko spun around in a flash and slashed at Koji, neatly slicing him in two.

  


---

  


Shinobu screamed and squeezed her eyes shut before turning to grab at Keitaro's shirt. She cried into his shirt, and Keitaro wrapped his arms around her, trying to comfort the obviously distraught grade-schooler. The others could only stare in a mixture of horror and disbelief at what had just transpired. Their friend Motoko...what had she just done?

  


"This...this can't be happening..." was Naru's response. Even the energetic and carefree Su couldn't comprehend what had just occurred. "Motoko..."

  


---

  


"What...what have I..." It was at this time that Motoko thought that something was amiss. She had sliced Koji in half...but there was no blood. Furthermore, upon closer inspection, it looked as if it was nothing but a doll. She then heard a voice from behind, which also held a familiar aura.

  


"Aw...that was my favorite dummy." Turning around, she saw that Koji was still alive and kicking, with that exact same smile still on his face. She was beginning to wonder if he could do anything else but smile.

  


"The art of substitution. Gotta admit though, you surprised me with that move. Didn't expect you to react that way, or even that fast. I evaded that attack by just a hair."

  


"Hmph, for a moment I was actually fooled into believing that I had actually killed you." A small smile actually appeared on Motoko's face. "I suppose that I have severely underestimated your fighting abilities. You may indeed be a worthy opponent. However, I refuse to lose. You may have earned my respect, but I will not allow you to emerge from this duel the victor. Prepare yourself, Kobayashi! Gods' Cry School Sword Technique: Boulder-Splitting Strike!"

  


---

  


"Hey, he's okay!" exclaimed Keitaro, as Koji was indeed alive and well. The others all breathed a sigh of relief, and Shinobu slowly removed her face from Keitaro's shirt. Tears stained her face and she sucked in a breath. She did her best to stop crying and she turned, trying to once again focus on the fight and remove that horrifying incident from her mind.

  


"_Daijobu _Shinobu_-chan_?" "_H-hai sempai_," replied Shinobu. She felt badly about it but...she was glad that Keitaro was worried about her.

  


"Does anybody want some watermelon?" Everyone jumped in surprise. When they turned to look at the new arrival, they were all shocked to see that Mutsumi was here now.

  


"Mutsumi? Wha...how did you find us?" uttered Keitaro. "Oh? Tama-chan led me up here. He told me about the duel and I just couldn't keep myself away." _"Oh boy...she really does understand what Tama-chan says doesn't she?"_ Keitaro thought to himself. "Hey, I wonder if that nice man over there wants some watermelon." She then decided to approach the person that she was talking about. It took a moment for everyone to figure out who Mutsumi was referring to, and by then it was too late. "Mutsumi! No, get back here!"

  


---

  


Koji was preparing to evade Motoko's latest attack, when a voice suddenly distracted him. "_Konnichiwa_! I was just wondering if you would like some watermelon?" "Huh? What the...?!" He turned only to discover that a young woman was now standing beside him, holding a watermelon in her hands. _Crap, what the heck is she doing here? Doesn't she know that I'm in the middle of a fight? I can't evade this attack and get her out of the way too...gotta think fast. Come on Koji...think...think...think!_

  


The chi blast from Motoko would not allow Koji time to think though, as it was hurtling towards him relentlessly. "Mutsumi-_san_!" cried Motoko. This was bad. Her attack may very well connect with Koji, but there was a good chance that Mutsumi may also be injured in the blast. And with her poor health, there was no telling what might happen. Motoko could do nothing but shut her eyes and try to prepare for the inevitable.

  


_I'm out of time. What can I do?_ The blast was three seconds away from impact, and there was nothing he could do. He could shove the girl away, but he would take the blow full force, since his guard would be down. It was possible, but that would mean that he loses the fight. This would have to be a last resort. The other possibility was that he evade this attack and the girl would be sacrificed, and this was completely unacceptable to him. There was no way he was going to leave her to die. Unfortunately for Koji, the clock kept ticking.

  


3...

  


2...

  


1...

  


"Oh sh..."

  
  
  
  


Author's Note: I actually wanted to conclude the fight in this chapter, but I think it would've been too long if I did that. It's already pretty huge as is. Anyways, the fight -will- be concluded pretty early in the next chapter, if I can help it. I know that the story so far really hasn't had anything to do with my summary in any way, shape or form...but I promise that it will soon. I mean, the stranger has to be able to establish himself with the characters, especially Shinobu, before he can make a difference, right?

I want to quickly thank Rion, Baka-Alaskan and DeathofHell for being the first people to have reviewed my story so far. I do have a question for Death though. You've perked my curiosity...what aspect of my fanfiction is weird to you? Just wondering, since it may affect how I write this fic as time progresses. Reviews will help me make this fanfic better, so I hope everyone who reads this will review. ^_^


	3. True Strength: Kendo Girl's Resolve

Author's Note: Perhaps I should provide a legend of sorts. Generally _italics_ are reserved for Japanese words and suffixes such as _sempai_, -_kun_, -_san_, -_chan_, etc. However, occasionally I will use _italics_ for a character's thoughts. This is first used with Motoko. Having the forward slash characters around a word like /this/ indicates that the character speaking is putting emphasis on that particular word.

  


Disclaimer: Love Hina belongs to Ken Akamatsu. I'm just infringing on copyright.

  
  
  


Love Hina Fanfic - Invisible

  
  
  


Everyone witnessed Motoko unleash her attack at Koji, but no one would have ever guessed that Mutsumi would come looking for them, much less get right in the line of fire. Everyone from Keitaro to Naru watched helplessly from the side as the ever dangerous chi blast made impact with the spot where Mutsumi and Koji were standing, causing dust to fly up all over the place.

  


"Mutsumi!" yelled Keitaro.

  


"Mutsumi-_sempai_!" cried Shinobu. The others also screamed out her name. The majority of them could only stand there, the reality of what had just transpired not quite sinking in yet.

  
  


---

  
  


"I...I have harmed an innocent. I...I am no longer worthy to wield this blade..." Tears began to form at the edge of Motoko's eyes. She closed her eyes and lowered her head in a respectful manner and kept it there for a moment. As she opened her eyes and raised her head, the smoke was already thinning out. And within that smoke, she swore she could see a form standing up.

  


And indeed, that is what she saw. As the last of the smoke cleared away, everyone was quite surprised, for they saw that Koji was unharmed, or so it seemed. But more importantly, he carried Mutsumi in his arms. Though she was unconscious, thankfully she appeared to be unharmed. Koji then made his way over to where Keitaro and the rest of the Hinata-Sou residents stood.

  


"Do not worry. I believe the shock of the impact merely knocked her unconscious. I don't believe she was physically harmed in any way, but...I cannot say that with the utmost certainty."

  


"Well...Mutsumi has a history of being very frail..." Keitaro offered, a bit shocked, but relieved that Mutsumi at least appeared to be unharmed. It was a bit harder to tell if Koji was hurt or not though. Dirt covered his face and his clothes were torn in several places, though no physical injuries could be seen.

  


"Might I suggest you take her to a place where she may be able to rest and recuperate then?" Keitaro nodded his agreement. He turned around and Koji helped him get Mutsumi on his back. He then started back for the Hinata-Sou, with Shinobu and Naru accompanying him.

  


"Well, Mutsumi seems to be okay. But what about you Mister Big Shot?" asked Kitsune.

  


"A little worn out, but I'll be fine," was his reply, before he made his way back out to the battlefield. Motoko was staring down at the ground, and it looked as if she was still in shock, for she seemed oblivious to everything around her. It was at this time that Koji, for the first time since arriving at the Hinata-Sou, actually frowned.

  


"Are we going to continue this duel? Or are you just going to stand there feeling sorry for yourself?" Motoko remained quiet. "You're pathetic. You claim to be true to the sword arts, but after one little incident you lose your nerve? You are a disgrace, not only to yourself, but to your family as well."

  


"_Urusei_!" snapped Motoko. She wanted to hear no more. Though she knew that he spoke the truth, she didn't want to hear it. What could she do? Though an accident was avoided this time, who was to say that it would not happen again? And what if she wasn't so lucky next time... "I...I can't. What if I really hurt someone next time? I wouldn't be able to live with myself..."

  


"Deal with it, you weakling." Motoko's eyes widened. She looked straight at Koji, right into his eyes. But her eyes were not filled with rage...instead, they were filled with confusion and sadness. "It may be a burden upon you, but it is a burden you should...no, that you /must/ bear. This is the proof of one's strength...the ability to face adversity and still retain the will to go on. I know that you possess this strength deep within you. But I cannot unlock that strength, only you have that power. The question now is not can you, but /will/ you? Will you show me your true strength?"

  


Koji's words struck a chord deep within Motoko. He was right. She could have hurt Mutsumi, hurt her badly, but that was the reality of it. It was in the past, and there was nothing she could do about it now. All she can do is try her best to prevent something like this from happening again, and to try to atone for her mistake. Running away requires no strength, it is the coward's way out. If it was not for Koji, she might've been prepared to do that. But because of his words, she was able to find the strength to deal with her demons. She closed her eyes and allowed her lips to curl upward in a small smile. Though she hated to admit it, she owed him one.

  


"Show me. Show me, and the rest of the Hinata-Sou, your true strength, Aoyama Motoko".

  


"I...I will. Prepare yourself Kobayashi, for now you shall see my true strength."

  


"Give it your all. Then, no matter what the outcome is, at least you will have no regrets."

  


Motoko could sense that while Koji was still strong, his chi reserves had depleted considerably. She could only think of one reason why: he had expended a lot of energy to protect Mutsumi from the chi blast. Though the playing field was somewhat level now, she considered holding back, since he should have been much stronger than this if..._iie_. She knew that Koji would not want her to hold back, he would want her to give it her all.

  


She couldn't see it, she could only feel it. She knew when Koji made his move. His initial movement was so quick that she nearly missed it, even though she focused all her senses on him. He rushed at her with unbelievable speed. She had trained hard throughout her entire life, and her training allowed her to move even without thinking, acting purely on instinct.

  


"Gods' Cry School Sword Technique: Hiken Zankuusen!"

  


Koji was able to anticipate Motoko's action. When he saw the chi blast, it was as it it was moving towards him in slow motion. He evaded the chi blast she sent at him easily and continued towards her. When he was within a few feet of Motoko she swung her blade at him. He ducked under the attack and followed up with a counterattack. Using the palm of his right hand he hit Motoko's wrists, causing her to lose her grip on her sword and send it flying into the air. He then did a small turn to his left and extended his left arm, palm out, towards Motoko. Manipulating his chi, he pushed Motoko back.. She ended up backing into a tree, but Koji was not finished yet. Still moving, he caught the sword as it was coming down from the air. He grabbed it with his right hand, by the hilt, and finished his turn. Right at the end of his turn, he released his grip on the sword. It went flying out of his hand and embedded itself into the tree, about two inches to the left of Motoko's neck.

  


"It's over," declared Koji.

  


Motoko was a bit shell-shocked upon seeing her own sword fly towards her and nearly impale itself in her neck. Her legs felt weak and so, while leaning against the tree, she slumped to the ground. Kitsune and Su rushed over to her, obviously concerned about their friend.

  


"Motoko, Motoko! Are you alright?" asked Su, obviously worried about her play partner.

  


"That was awfully close," said Kitsune casually, while she stared at the sword that was sticking out of the tree. "You were lucky, /really/ lucky. If he lost his grip or something, we might not be talking to you right now," offered Kitsune, who wasn't really making Motoko feel any better. She looked up at Koji, who had his back facing her. _He...he beat me. First Seta...now him. Within a matter of days, I've been bested in combat by two different men. Kobayashi...he's no ordinary fighter._ And just as soon as Motoko finished her thought, Koji fell forward and hit the ground face first with a thud.

  
  


---

  
  


"_Minna_-_san_! Dinner's ready !" Within mere moments, every occupant of the Hinata-Sou was seated at the table. "Thank you for the food!" was all that anyone said before the feeding frenzy began. Shinobu, the resident chef, then sat down in her seat and took a look around at all the people who had become such an important part of her life.

  


Kitsune. She was almost always seen with some sort of alcoholic beverage in her hand, but in a jam she always came through for her friends. She was also very generous with advice, and seemed to have a knack for getting Keitaro in trouble.

  


Motoko. She had been even more silent and reclusive since her defeat at the hands of Koji. But Shinobu had always looked up to her. She was always so strong and so pretty, and secretly Shinobu wished that she could be as strong like Motoko too.

  


Kaolla. She was always energetic, always happy. It was hard to be sad around someone like that. Though her antics, such as her mission to try to eat Tama-chan, or defeat the turtle with a robotic version of itself, often caused trouble for them, the Hinata-Sou wouldn't be quite the same without her.

  


Naru. So smart, and so pretty. Shinobu had a feeling that she liked Keitaro, but that she would just never willingly admit it. She wished that she could be as pretty as Naru, so maybe Keitaro would notice her more...

  


And finally, Keitaro. As she watched him, she felt her cheeks get warm. Ever since the first day she met him, she instantly fell for him. He may not have been extremely smart or handsome, but he was nice and that was all that mattered to her. She knew that he liked Naru and though it hurt her that he didn't like in that way, Shinobu would be happy just as long as her _sempais_ was happy.

  


"Eh? Shinobu-_chan_? Is everything okay? Your cheeks are so red," commented Naru.

  


"Mm-hm. I noticed you were staring at Keitaro too," mentioned Kitsune with a grin.

  


Shinobu's cheeks were no longer red, her whole face was red now. She looked down at her lap, unable to face the others.

  


"Red cheeks? Did you eat something spicy Shinobu? No fair, no fair! I want some too!" exclaimed Su.

  


"Nah. She was just..."

  


"_Sumimasen_," was what Shinobu said as she suddenly stood up from her seat. She picked up her plate and brought it into the kitchen quickly, not looking at any of the others. How come they always had to pick on her? As she placed her plate into the sink, she could hear Keitaro talk outside.

  


"Hey now, stop that. You know how shy Shinobu-_chan_ is."

  


"For once, I must agree with Urashima," said Motoko.

  


"Oi, oi. I was just playing with her, I wasn't picking on her," replied Kitsune, a frown appearing on her face.

  


Making her way over to the counter, Shinobu picked up a tray. She then walked out of the kitchen and towards the stairs, which prompted a question from Keitaro.

  


"Oh, Shinobu-_chan_. Where are you going?"

  


"I just wanted to see how Kobayashi-_san_ was doing _sempai_. If he's awake, I'm sure he must be hungry."

  


"You're very kind Shinobu-_chan_," replied Keitaro with a smile.

  


Shinobu could not help but blush again when Keitaro smiled at her. She then turned back around and resumed her trek up the stairs, stopping when she reached the second floor. She made her way over to Keitaro's room and slid the door open.

  


"Who's there?"

  


Shinobu hadn't expected anyone to speak and so she was taken by complete surprise. She lost her hold on the tray and ended up frantically trying to grab a hold of it again before it hit the ground. She managed to grab hold of it, and so she breathed a sigh of relief.

  


"_Konbanwa_. I-It's Maehara Shinobu."

  


"Oh, it's the little lady."

  


Carefully, Shinobu made her way into Keitaro's room. She placed the tray on the _kotatsu_ before sitting down next to the futon in which Koji laid.

  


"It's nice of you to come by and see how I'm doing. If it's not too much trouble, would you mind answering a couple questions?"

  


Shinobu nodded.

  


"One. Where am I?

  


"_Ano_...after your fight with Motoko-_san_, you black out. But we brought you back to the Hinata-Sou to rest. This is Urashima-_sempai_'s room..."

  


"Ah, I see. I'll have to remember to thank the others for their help and hospitality when I see them again. Alright, next question: why do I feel like I was run over by a train?"

  


"_Ano_..."

  


"Oh wait, I know the answer to this one already. Motoko-_chan_ sure is something else," he said with a light chuckle. "Okay, one last question...how long have I been out?"

  


Shinobu thought about it for a moment before replying.

  


"THREE DAYS?!?!?!"

  


Koji's outburst startled Shinobu as she gasped and pulled away from him just a bit.

  


"Huh? Oh..._gomen nasai_ Maehara-_san_. It's just...I didn't think I would've been out for so long."

  


It felt weird for someone to call her that. Everyone else either called her Shinobu or Shinobu-_chan_...he was the first to call her Maehara-_san_."

  


"I...I thought you might be hungry, so I brought you some food. Would you like to..."

  


"Food?! Oh, I'm starved." Koji tried to sit up, which only caused him to groan. "Ow...ow. Oh pain, oh pain."

  


Shinobu couldn't help but giggle, he was kind of funny. She moved closer to him and helped him up over to the _kotatsu_. When he sat down he began to wolf the food down. In less than a minute, he had already cleared his plate. She could only stare in disbelief.

  


"Mmm...delicious. Did you make that?"

  


Shinobu felt her cheeks grow hot again, and she just nodded.

  


"Ah. _Arigato gozaimasu _Maehara-_san_."

  


"_Douitashimashite_. _Ano_...Kobayashi-_san_?"

  


"_Hai_?"

  


"You don't have to call me Maehara-_san_. You can just call me Shinobu or Shinobu-_chan_ like everyone else."

  


"Are you uncomfortable with me calling with Maehara-_san_?"

  


"Just...a little bit..."

  


"Well in that case, I'll just call you Shinobu-_chan_ from now on then, okay?"

  


Shinobu smiled and nodded her approval. She heard a groan from him and she noticed that he was trying to get up. She moved next to him and put his left arm over her shoulders to help him up. He smiled at her, obviously thankful for the assistance, and told her he wanted to move over to the window so that he could get some fresh air.

  


As they made their way over to the window, Shinobu stepped and slipped on the covers of the futon that Koji had been sleeping in. Koji tried to keep her from falling, but he was still weak and so he ended up falling too. Shinobu landed on her back and, ironically, Koji landed on top of her. He had his hands on the ground on either side of her head though, and that was all that kept their bodies from touching.

  


Though this precarious situation made her quite uncomfortable, she could not help but blush deeply. There was nothing between them, and most certainly she was not trying to start something with him, but being this close to a guy...it was then that the board over the hole in the ceiling slid aside and Naru peered down into the room.

  


"Shinobu, is everything alright? I heard a noise and..."

  


"PERVERT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

  


With that Naru leapt into the room and charged at Koji, who was frantically trying to explain what had happened. But it was all in vain as Naru delivered her trademark punch to his jaw, sending him flying through a number of walls. Shinobu could only watch. She was fascinated by Naru's strength, but she also felt sympathetic for Koji.

  


"Are you okay Shinobu-_chan_?"

  


"_Hai_, Naru-_sempai_. _Demo_..."

  


It was just then that Keitaro appeared at the doorway.

  


"What happened? I heard a thud earlier, followed by a..." He trailed off when he saw a hole in the wall of his room, as well as a number of other walls.

  


"Let's just say, you're no longer the only pervert in this house," replied Naru as she helped Shinobu to her feet and led her out of the room.

  


Meanwhile...

  


Koji had landed in the hot springs at the back of the Hinata-Sou. He was laying on his back on top of the rocks with his hair soaking in the water. (Note: this was the way that he landed.)

  


"Ow...that's some punch she's got. Keitaro is lucky that he's never been on the receiving end of one of those," he said to himself with a chuckle. "Huh?"

  


It was just then that he spotted the resident hot springs turtle, Tama-_chan_, taking a swim in the springs. It spotted Koji too, and it greeted him with a "Myuh!"

  
  
  


Author's Note: At this point in time, I may end this fic right here, due to a couple of reasons. First of all, it isn't going quite the way I want it to. I wanted to primarily focus it on Shinobu's feelings for Keitaro, but as I write it's turning into more of a Koji/Motoko fic. I may continue it later on with a change to its premise, but that remains to be seen. Secondly, reviews seem to be scarce. I wish to thank all the people who have reviewed so far, but it's somewhat discouraging to see that not many people are reading what you're writing. Granted there may be those who read and don't review...but all the same. Lastly, I had a bit of a brainstorm for another fic. I just recently finished reading the manga series (currently I am unable to purchase volume 11, but I have all other 13 volumes in my possession) and I've got an idea for another fic. This one will /probably/ be the Keitaro/Shinobu fic I was kinda trying for here, except that this time it will actually stay on track. But I dunno...I'm still in the process of deciding whether to continue this or not. I would put it up for a vote...but considering that Baka-Alaskan seems to be my only regular reviewer right now, I don't think the poll idea will work too well. Eh, we'll see what fate decides to do.

  


Anyways, here's a legend for the lesser known Japanese words that I used.

  


_Urusei_! - Shut up!

_Iie_ - No

_Minna_-_san_ - Everyone

_Sumimasen_ - Excuse me

_Konbanwa_ - Good evening

_Douitashimashite_ - You are welcome

_Ano_... - Umm...

_Hai?_ - Yes?

_Demo..._ - But...

_Nani?_ - What?


	4. The Hiking Trip: Realization

Author's Note: Before I start, I would like to thank everyone who was supported my story so far, especially the people who have taken the time to leave a review.

  


mr-winkie: Perhaps. I write mainly because I wish to contribute something to Love Hina, which I love so much. Reviews make it worthwhile, so it's a tad disappointing when they're in short supply. Glad you like the fic so far.

  


Baka-Alaskan: What can I say? You've supported me since the prologue and I'm very grateful for it. I /will/ start up another fic that will primarily focus on just Keitaro and Shinobu, but I want to plan some stuff out before I start writing and posting it. I'm very flattered by the invite too, I'll definitely consider joining. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to you too.

  


SuOrd: Glad you like the story. I'll try to cut down on the Japanese somewhat, but I'm still going to leave in the suffixes and some other small things that people should be okay with. I will probably proceed with this story as a Koji/Motoko and Shinobu/Keitaro fic. The reason I thought of ending it was because the story seemed to be straying so far off the original premise, as well as my summary, but I suppose I could make changes to that.

  


Anyways, I hope you all will like this next chapter.

  
  
  


Love Hina Fanfic - Invisible

  
  
  


Maehara Shinobu was lying in her room, fast asleep. The sun had risen now and the sunlight filtered through the window in her room. Slowly, the presence of the sunlight on her lovely face caused her to stir. A low moan escaped her lips as her eyelids started to flutter, before they slowly opened.

  


She blinked a couple of times, to try to clear her vision, before she finally sat up. Lifting her hand up to her face, she gently rubbed her eyes. She turned to look over at her desk, which was covered with books and stationery. _That's right...I was up late studying last night. At least I was finally able to solve those problems...but at this rate, I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to get into Toudai._ In an attempt to take her mind off of that subject, she took a glance at the clock. When she saw what time it was, her eyes widened and she started flailing her arms around. _Oh no, it's so late already! And I haven't made breakfast yet!_ _Everyone must be starving..._

  


Shinobu practically leapt out of bed. She literally tore off her pajamas and then threw on the outfit she felt most comfortable in. (A/N: the one she's wearing when we see her in episode 1.) She then ran down the stairs and made a bee-line for the kitchen. As she entered the foyer, she saw Keitaro fiddling with something. He looked up and gave her a smile, which caused her to blush.

  


"_Ohayo _Shinobu-_chan_."

  


"_Ohayo gozaimasu sempai_!" she said as she bowed. "_Gomen nasai_, I overslept a bit. I bet everyone must be starving! I'll get started on it right away!"

  


"Actually Shinobu-_chan_..." started Keitaro, but Shinobu had already ran off towards the kitchen. When she threw the door open to the dining room though, she was surprised to see that everyone was already seated and eating.

  


"_Hooooooeee_?" (A/N: Blatant rip-off from Card Captor Sakura.)

  


"Hm? Oh, _ohayo _Shinobu_-chan_."

  


"_Ohayo gozaimasu_ Naru-_sempai_," replied Shinobu, who was still in a bit of shock. "_Ano_...did you make breakfast?"

  


"No. It was..."

  


Just then, the culprit emerged from the kitchen with another plate of food.

  


"_Hooooooeee_?! Koyabashi-_san_?"

  


The young man looked up upon hearing his name, and he promptly greeted Shinobu with his trademark smile. "Oh...so Sleeping Beauty has finally awoken! _Ohayo gozaimasu_, Shinobu-_chan_."

  


"_O-Ohayo_..." replied Shinobu, who was staring at the floor, her cheeks now a deep shade of crimson due to Koji's remark.

  


"Come, sit down. You must be hungry, have some breakfast."

  


Shinobu nodded, before making her way over to her seat. She sat down, and Koji placed the plate of food down in front of her. _I-It looks good_ thought Shinobu, as she picked up her fork. She took a tiny piece of fish and plopped it into her mouth.

  


"Hope it's satisfactory," said Koji. "I seriously doubt that my cooking can hold a candle to yours, but I hope it's edible at the least."

  


"Don't be so modest Koji," replied Kitsune. "It's a lot better than what the rest of us can do." Su nodded, obviously fully agreeing with what Kitsune had said.

  


"Hey..." started Naru, before Kitsune looked over at her with a grin. "Well, your food might /taste/ good Naru, but it certainly doesn't /look/ very appetizing," teased Kitsune.

  


Naru blushed, Kitsune grinned, and Su begged for more. Only Shinobu had remained silent, and Koji was beginning to worry a bit. "That bad huh? _Gomen_, _gomen_. Maybe I should get you something else to eat..."

  


"No. It...it's really good."

  


"Now now, no need to patronize me. If it's bad, just tell me."

  


"I-I really mean it though, Kobayashi-_san_..." said Shinobu with feeling. Koji smiled that smile of his and performed a little bow. "_Arigato gozaimasu_."

  


"Say, has anyone seen Motoko today?" asked Naru in an attempt to get Kitsune to stop talking about her cooking.

  


"Now that you mention it, I haven't," replied Kitsune.

  


"What about you Su-_chan_?"

  


"She was next to me when I went to sleep last night!" exclaimed Su. "But...when I got up today, she was gone already. I was kinda sad, 'cause I had no one to play with. Luckily, I found a new play partner!" Su then jumped out of her chair and lunged at Koji, wrapping her arms around his neck. She hung onto him as she normally did to Motoko, and Shinobu was half expecting Koji to cry out in pain or wince or something. But he never did. She could only wonder how he withstand Su's bear-like hug, especially since his injuries had not yet completely healed.

  


It was just then that Keitaro walked back into the kitchen and sat down next to Naru. Secretly, Shinobu wished that he would sit next to her, but she knew it more than likely wasn't going to happen. However, at least this way she could look at him all the time without having to turn her head, which might invoke a comment from the others, especially Kitsune..

  


"Oh right, that reminds me. Shinobu-_chan_?"

  


"_H-Hai_..._sempai_?"

  


"Do you have any plans for today?"

  


"N-No..."

  


"Well, I was thinking that maybe everyone could take a trip up into the mountains behind Hinata-Sou, kind of like a hiking trip. Autumn's coming soon so it would be nice to enjoy this weather before it goes away. So...do you want to come with us?"

  


"_Demo_...don't you have to study?"

  


"The mock exams are still a while from now," answered Naru. "And we can't study all the time, right?"

  


"Yeah. We've decided to take it a bit easier this year, so we don't blow it again." added Keitaro.

  


"Come on Shinobu, it's going to be a lot of fun! There will be a lot of booze!" added Kitsune, who was obviously very excited about the idea.

  


"Ahem, I think she's a bit young to be drinking Kitsune. But anyways, would you like to come along Shinobu-_chan_?" asked Naru.

  


After taking a moment to think about it, Shinobu nodded. "I'll make my special lunch boxes for everyone. I'll get started on them right now!" she exclaimed as she literally leapt out of her chair and ran into the kitchen.

  


"Yay, Shinobu's special lunches! They're delicious! Actually, I want one right now..." complained Su, her stomach growling.

  


"But you just ate five servings..." said an astonished Naru.

  


"That wasn't enough, I'm still hungry!"

  


Koji handed Su a banana, which caused a gasp of delight to escape from the lips of the foreign exchange student. She gave Koji an extra tight squeeze before she picked the banana out of Koji's hand and started peeling away the skin, desperate to get to the tasty insides.

  


"Well, at least she's peeling off the skin. There have been times when she was so hungry she didn't even do that!" joked Kitsune.

  


This caused everyone to laugh.

  
  


---

  
  


It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, the whole world just seemed at peace. As the residents of the Hinata-Sou, minus Motoko, trekked up the mountain, Shinobu could not help but marvel at the beauty that surrounded her. She stopped momentarily and kneeled down to look at a patch of flowers that were growing just off to the side of the trail.

  


"Hmm? Oi, Shinobu-_chan_! If you keep doing that, there's a good chance we might not notice one time. Then you'll end up out here all by yourself."

  


"No need to worry Narusegawa-_san_, I won't let that happen," replied a smiling Koji. "Why don't you guys go on ahead, we'll catch up."

  


"Are you sure?"

  


"_Hai_, _hai_. We'll be fine, you guys go on. We'll meet you at the campsite."

  


"Well...okay. But you better take care of Shinobu-_chan_...and don't try anything perverted on her. Or else you'll live to regret it. Understand?"

  


"_Hai_, _hai_," replied a nervous Koji.

  


Naru felt that Koji probably got the message, and so the others started making their way to the campsite. Kitsune was trying to get Naru to talk about how she felt towards Keitaro, which obviously perked the interest of the extremely clumsy _kanrinin_. The energetic Su was running all about; climbing a tree here, chasing a squirrel there. And when she wasn't doing that, she was hanging off of Keitaro, at times even choking him, accidentally of course.

  


Koji watched them disappear behind a bend with a smile, it was refreshing to see a bunch of people in this day and age get along so well. He turned around to find that Shinobu had picked some of those flowers she was admiring earlier, and had now made her way over to his side.

  


"_Ano_..."

  


"They chose to leave us behind, said we were to slow. Some friends eh?"

  


He chuckled a bit, but when he stole a glance at Shinobu he could see that she was on the verge of tears. He started to panic a bit, and tried his best to keep the grade schooler from letting loose with the waterworks.

  


"I'm joking, seriously. I told them to go on ahead. You seem to be having a good time just admiring everything around us, so I thought you might like it if we moved at a slower pace, so you would get a chance to do what you want without having to be rushed. They didn't desert us, honest! Please don't cry..."

  


Shinobu bit down on her lower lip. She was starting to calm down now, although tears still remained in the corner of her eyes. Koji felt like punching himself, but he doubted that it would have helped the situation. So he did the only thing that he thought would make Shinobu feel a little better: he apologized.

  


"_Gomen nasai_, I shouldn't have made that dumb joke."

  


"I-It's okay. It's not your f-fault, I'm just t-too gullible."

  


Koji didn't have a comforting response for that. "Well...how about we get going? I mean, we can't stand around here all day...or can we?"

  


Shinobu smiled lightly, and shook her head.

  


"I guess not," he replied with a chuckle. "Alright then, off we go."

  


Koji led the way, but Shinobu stuck close to him. She walked right beside him, but she remained silent. Actually, neither of them said much after that, and for the most part they just kept walking. Shinobu would stop occasionally to admire the flowers or comment on how cute one of the animals were, but that was about it. The silence was kind of driving Koji stir-crazy though, so he decided to try to initiate some sort of conversation.

  


"So...how long have you been staying at the Hinata-Sou?"

  


"A little over a year." (A/N: I'm going by the anime here...that she took up residence in the Hinata-Sou /after/ Keitaro came to Hinata.)

  


"You like it there?"

  


"_Hai_, everyone's really nice to me. Especially _sempai_." Upon just mentioning his name, Shinobu could not help but think about when he brought her to the Hinata-Sou for a going-away party. Even though she was rather rude to him before, he still did his best to try to help her. He was so nice to her...and there was one thing that he said to her that she would always remember. _"If I could eat food like this everyday, I would be a happy man."_ Her gaze fell to the ground near her feet and her cheeks were stained a light shade of red.

  


Koji noticed this, and his smile grew. "You like him, don't you?" he asked.

  


Shinobu's eyes widened and she turned to look at Koji. Her blush deepened and she shook her head furiously. "N-No. It's not like...he doesn't...I don't...there's nothing..." stumbled a flustered Shinobu.

  


"Whoa there, calm down Shinobu-_chan_. No need to get so excited now. I was just teasing."

  


Shinobu nodded and took a deep breath. _Why was I so embarrassed? Talk about overreacting. I made such a fool of myself, he must think I'm a complete weirdo now. Not to mention, he's probably figured out that I really /do/ like sempai from my reaction just now._ Shinobu sighed. _How come I'm such a klutz?_

  


Shinobu was brought out of her thoughts when she felt a hand on her shoulder. It was meant to comfort her, she knew that, and she was grateful to Koji for that.

  


"_Arigato_, Kobayashi-_san_."

  


"Think nothing of it. Let's just drop the subject. Anyways, we should keep going."

  


Shinobu agreed, and they continued to follow the trail that would lead them to the campsite. Koji figured the others probably made it there already, if Su's antics didn't slow them down too much.

  


"_Ano_...Kobayashi-_san_?"

  


"_Hai_?"

  


"I was just kind of wondering...didn't you mention before that you were trying to get into Toudai?"

  


"Come to think of it, I did, didn't I?"

  


"Then...does that mean you're the same age as _sempai_?"

  


"I dunno, how old is he?"

  


"_Ano_...twenty, I think."

  


"He's a year my senior then. And actually, it's my first time trying for Toudai. Because of my line of work and uh...certain /incidents/ that took place, I was unable to take the entrance exam until now. So...he's twenty huh? So I guess he should be in his what...third year at Toudai now? Maybe I'll ask him for some tips."

  


"_Ano_...actually, _sempai_ hasn't made it in yet..."

  


Koji had taken out his bottle of water and was taking a drink from it. Upon hearing that Keitaro was a third year _ronin_, he promptly spit out the water that he was drinking.. "You mean...he's still trying to get in?"

  


"_H-Hai_. But...I know he'll make it in this year! _Sempai_ is working so hard this year! A-And he's getting help from Naru-_sempai_. I know he'll get in this year, I just know he will!"

  


_She cares about him a lot...more than she's willing to let on. And judging from what I've seen, I doubt Keitaro would know anything about it at all. He's pretty clueless...heck, that's probably why he hasn't been able to get into Toudai yet. But...Haruka-san's smart, she's probably got it figured out by now...wouldn't surprise me if Kitsune suspected something too. Unfortunately, the one that /should/ know this is completely oblivious. Poor Shinobu..._

  


Koji was brought out of his trance by a scream, and as he looked around to see where it had come from, he saw that Shinobu had taken off.

  


"Oi! Shinobu-_chan_, come back! It's too dangerous by yourself, you could get hurt!"

  


It was obvious that Shinobu probably had not heard him, and so he had no other choice: he began to give chase. He ran after her but it was difficult to keep up with her, since she was running at full tilt when he saw her last.

  


Koji stopped several meters later upon noticing that the nearby grass had been disturbed, probably due to Shinobu straying off the trail. _This is bad...this is very bad._ Koji knew that he had to find her soon, and so he took off at full speed, praying to _Kami_ that he would find her before any misfortunes might befall her.

  


Unfortunately for him, by the time he found Shinobu, she was in a precarious situation. A very old wooden suspension bridge that looked like it might fall apart at any moment stretched from this side across to another side, spanning a total of at least fifteen meters. A river ran about twenty meters or so underneath the bridge She was down on her knees near the middle of the bridge, and he assumed that she had collapsed due to exhaustion...and perhaps fear.

  


"Shinobu-_chan_!"

  


She looked around when he called her name, and she spotted him. She took one hand off of the rope which held the bridge up, and tried to wave at him. However, the bridge started to rock right about then and so she quickly grabbed on to the rope with both hands.

  


"Stay there Shinobu-_chan_. I'll come and get you!"

  


It seemed as it Shinobu didn't hear him though, because at that moment she was trying to stand up. When she appeared to have established some sort of balance, she began to make her way towards him. She moved slowly, carefully making sure that the wooden boards would support her weight. It was when she took her fifth step that Koji sensed something was wrong.

  


As Shinobu placed her foot on the wooden board, it initially held. But the wood was rotting and it did a good job of fooling her, because a second later when her full weight was on it, it gave way. The board she was standing on shattered and she started to fall. When the board gave way, she felt a sharp pain in her right ankle. However, she really did not have much time to dwell on that because a moment later she hit the water. 

  


The water was cold, /freezing/ cold. It felt like she was being poked by hundreds and hundreds of tiny little pins. She did her best to get her head above water, and when she broke the water's surface she could hear someone calling to her. It was hard to hear over the rushing water, but she assumed that it was Koji.

  


"Koji!" she screamed as she tried to stay afloat. She managed to get a mouth full of water for her troubles and she coughed, nearly choking on the water. The strong current then pulled her under, but she managed to struggle to the surface for a second time. "Please, help me!" Shinobu received another mouth full of water and heard a loud splash before she was dragged underwater once again, but this time she no longer had the strength to fight to the surface.

  


_Am I...am I going to die here? Kobayashi-san...Kaolla-san...Motoko-san...Haruka_-_san...Naru-sempai, I'll never get to see them again._ Shinobu squeezed her eyes shut and a single tear escaped, though it was promptly washed away by the water. _Sempai...I'll never get to see you again either. And I'll never get a chance to tell you how I feel. To tell you that I lo..._

  


Her train of thought was derailed when she was no longer able to hold her breath. She opened her mouth and bubbles of air escaped. _No...I don't want to die. I want to live...I want to be able to cook for sempai everyday...I want to make him happy._ The cold was starting to affect her now. That, working in combination with her lack of oxygen, caused her to start to drift off. Her eyes were starting to close, but she swore she could make out an image of Keitaro making his way towards her. _Sempai, is that you? Have you...come to...save me? Please hurry sempai...please._ She closed her eyes and a moment later, she felt a pair of arms wrap themselves around her. She tried to open her eyes to see who it was, but she was too tired. Shinobu finally gave in, and the world around her went dark.

  
  


---

  
  


Shinobu knew that Keitaro and Naru were studying hard, and so she decided to make a snack for them. When she reached his room, she knocked on the door lightly before sliding it open. What she saw shocked her.

  


Keitaro and Naru were kissing. It wasn't an accidental kiss or anything, she knew it was a kiss that both of them wanted. When they finally separated, they looked at each other with that special kind of look that lovers give each other.

  


"I love you Naru."

  


"I love you too, Keitaro."

  


Shinobu dropped the tray she was holding. Cookies and tea spilled all over the floor, but she didn't care. She could feel the tears well up in her eyes and roll down her cheeks. Upon hearing the tray hit the floor, Keitaro and Naru looked over to see Shinobu standing there, crying her little eyes out.

  


"_Gomen nasai_." was all she managed to say between muffled sobs, before she turned around to run. She felt stupid, really stupid. Keitaro would never love her, the only person he cared for was Naru. She was happy that he was happy, but still it broke her heart to know that she no longer had a chance with him. She heard Keitaro and Naru call after her, but she really did not want to face them right now; so she ran. She ran as fast as her legs would carry her, but she didn't watch where she was going. She ended up slipping on a part of the floor that was wet. She crashed into the railing and flipped over it, before falling into the hot springs. The fall disorientated her, and so she lacked the frame of mind to swim to the surface. _I'm glad that you're happy sempai. I guess this is...good-bye..._

  
  


---

  
  


As air reentered her lungs, Shinobu turned over onto her side and began to cough out the water that had filled her lungs. Every breath that she took hurt. After a few moments her coughing stopped, as most of the water had been purged from her lungs. She rolled back onto her back and she just laid there for a moment before she finally willed herself to open her eyes. At first she had no idea where she was, and she felt extremely confused. But then it all came back to her: the bridge, falling into the water, and then blacking out. _Am I dead? _was the first thought that came to her mind. She quickly dismissed that idea when the pounding in her head became too much for her to ignore.

  


She tried to sit up, but that only served to make her headache worse. A moan escaped her lips and the next thing she knew, a familiar face was helping her to sit up.

  


"K-Kobayashi-_san_..." Her voice was very weak, no doubt due to all that water she had swallowed before.

  


"Shinobu-_chan_, you're okay! You had me worried, for a while I wasn't sure if you were going to make it. How are you feeling?"

  


"Terrible, but anything is better than being dead, so I can't complain. Wh-Where are we?"

  


Shinobu thought that she had seen a small frown form on Koji's face, but it was replaced by his usual smile so quickly that she simply assumed that she had imagined it.

  


"Can't say that I really know. The river washed us downstream a ways, but it shouldn't be too much trouble to find a way back to the Hinata-Sou."

  


She watched Koji try to remain optimistic, she knew he was doing it for her sake. But she just couldn't do it. Her lower lip began to tremble, and the tears just started coming out. They rolled down her cheeks and she threw her arms around Koji's neck.

  


"I was so scared!" she cried in-between muffled sobs. "I thought I was going to die! I thought I would never be able to see you or _sempai_ or anyone else ever again!"

  


Koji remained silent and allowed Shinobu to get all of it off her chest. He put his arms around her and did his best to just try and comfort the young girl, who was obviously distraught over her near-death experience. After a few minutes, she finally began to calm down. She began to pull away from him and he allowed her to. She wiped the tears from her cheeks and eyes and did her best to try and smile.

  


"_Gomen nasai _Kobayashi-_san_. I-I still haven't thanked you...I owe you my life. _Arigato gozaimasu_."

  


"_Douitashimashite _Shinobu-_chan_. Don't dwell too much on it though, it was no big deal. Try to rest, you've had a long day. We'll start back to the Hinata-Sou as soon as you get some rest. Everyone must be worried sick by now."

  


Shinobu nodded her agreement. She hated to think that everyone was worried sick about her when it was her own fault that she was in this position, but there was nothing she could do about that now. All she could hope to do was to apologize to all of them after they got back. She found it odd that Koji didn't ask her why she suddenly just ran off like that, but after thinking about it, she assumed that he was trying to respect her privacy. She smiled, he was really thoughtful. She laid down and a few minutes later she drifted off due to pure exhaustion...

  


After about an hour, Shinobu awoke from her slumber. Koji asked if she wanted to rest a bit longer, but she shook her head. She wanted to make it back to the Hinata-Sou as soon as possible. When she attempted to stand, she felt a sharp pain in her right leg. She cried out in pain and began to fall, though Koji managed to catch her before she hit the ground. He asked her where it hurt, and she told him that it was her ankle. He inspected her ankle by getting her to roll her foot, which caused her to wince in pain.

  


"Well...from what I can tell nothing's broken. Probably just a sprain. All the same, you should try to keep off of it for a while. I'll wrap it right now to try to keep the swelling down."

  


Shinobu nodded her understanding. "But...how are we going to make it back to the Hinata-Sou then?"

  


"I'll carry you. But first..." he said, before ruffling through a bag. He tossed a long sleeved shirt, a pair of shorts and a jacket to her. "I know they're a bit big for you Shinobu-_chan_, but it's better than those wet clothes that you're wearing right now. Plus, it's getting dark, so it's going to get colder. Don't want you catching a cold, now do we?"

  


Shinobu nodded. Koji stood up, turned around and put some distance between himself and Shinobu to allow her to change in privacy. She called him when she was done, and he returned to her side. He took her wet clothes and stuck them in his bag. With his bag in tow, he then kneeled down next to her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, locking both of her hands together, before Koji stood up. It was like he was giving her a piggyback ride. She couldn't help but think how nice this was, and how warm he felt. She felt so safe and secure...in a way she felt that he was the older brother she never had.

  


As Koji carried her, she kept trying to work up the courage to ask him something. And yet, she could never bring herself to ask him. When she opened her mouth to speak, she would always end up having second thoughts, and so she never did say anything.

  


"Is there something on your mind Shinobu-_chan_?"

  


"_Ano_..."

  


"What is it? You know you can tell me anything."

  


"It's just...you're so nice. I don't have any brother or sisters and..."

  


"I think I know what you're trying to say Shinobu-_chan_. You're kinda like a little sister to me, I don't know why. I hope I didn't offend you."

  


Shinobu shook her head. "Not at all. In fact, you're kinda like the older brother I never had. Do you mind...if I..."

  


"Not at all," he replied with a smile.

  


A smile formed on Shinobu's face, and she could not help but hug him tighter. "_Arigato gozaimasu_, _oniichan_." She closed her eyes and she laid her head against his back, and she ended up dozing off again, this time with a smile on her face.

  
  


---

  
  


"Shinobu-_chan_. Shinobu-_chan_?"

  


"Huh?" Shinobu slowly opened her eyes and blinked.

  


"We're back."

  


Looking over his shoulder, Shinobu saw that he was almost finished walking up the long set of stairs that laid before the Hinata-Sou. Within seconds he cleared the final few steps, and they were home at last. When Koji reached the door, he slid it open. To both of their amazement, everyone was standing in the foyer. Kitsune and Mutsumi were sitting on the sofa, the two of them trying to console Naru. Su was running around everywhere, trying to look for Shinobu. Keitaro was pacing the room and you could tell that he was extremely worried. But when the door slid open, everyone turned their attention to the door. It took a moment for the residents of the Hinata-Sou to realize that the person they were looking for had finally come back, but as soon as that face sunk in they all rushed towards the door, nearly trampling Koji in the process.

  


"Shinobu, are you okay?" asked Kitsune.

  


"Yay! Shinomu's back! Now we can eat!" exclaimed Su, who was jumping up and down.

  


"I was about to send Tama-_chan_ out on a search and rescue mission," added Mutsumi. As if to reaffirm what she said, Tama-_chan_ raised her front flipper and gave a salute. It was then that Su spotted the resident hot springs turtle and she seemingly pulled a fork and knife out of thin air. "So nice. Someone left me an appetizer!" Tama-_chan_ started to fly away, with Su in hot pursuit.

  


"Kaolla-_san_, Tama-_chan_'s not for eating!" Shinobu yelled, but Su had already gotten out of hearing range.

  


"I'm glad you're safe Shinobu-_chan_," said Keitaro. "I better call _obasan_ and tell her that you're back safe and sound."

  


"What happened Shinobu-_chan_?" inquired Naru, who was starting to give Koji a dirty look. "He didn't do anything perverted to you, did he?"

  


"Ara ara. Was that why you two were gone so long?" teased Mutsumi as she chuckled. "Was he good Shinobu-_chan_?"

  


"M-Mutsumi-_sempai_!" Shinobu's whole face was red now, and Mutsumi was giggling. A large sweatdrop formed on Koji's head as he noticed that Naru was now up in his face. "If I find out that you did anything even /remotely/ wrong, you're dead." _Why me?_ thought Koji to himself.

  


"No! _Oniichan_ didn't do anything like that!"

  


"Huh? _Oniichan_?!" were the words that left Naru's mouth.

  


"Well...he's not my real brother but...it's a long story. I'll tell you guys about it later." Fortunately for Koji, that was enough to convince Naru that he did nothing indecent to Shinobu. And it was a good thing too, because Naru was just about ready to make him the first man to ever go into space without a space suit.

  


Shinobu could not help but smile. She was glad to be reunited with the people who she cared about so much, and who cared about her. Glancing over at Koji, she noticed that the poor guy now had his hands full with Su, who had apparently given up on chasing poor Tama-_chan_. She giggled softly to herself, and silently thanked the young man again for saving her life.

  


She then glanced over at Keitaro, who was on the phone. He was telling Haruka-_san_ that she was back now, and that everything was basically fine. Shinobu could feel herself blush when she looked at him. She knew that her feelings for him were not just a crush, but that it was something more. And for the first time ever, she actually felt like she wanted to tell him that she...well, that she really, really, really liked him. _One day sempai, just you wait and see. One day, I'll finally tell you how I really feel. But until then, I'm just happy to be by your side._

  


"Shinobu-_chan_, are you okay?" asked Mutsumi.

  


"_H-Hai_!" exclaimed Shinobu, before she proceeded to tell everyone what had happened to her.

  
  


Author's Note: The next chapter will deal with Motoko and what she's been up to ever since she took leave of the Hinata-Sou. Within the next couple of chapters I'll also be shedding some light on Koji's background, as well as manipulating Motoko's past to suit the idea that I have planned for the rest of this story. Sorry if it was a bit long-winded, I wanted to fit a lot into this chapter. Hope you guys enjoyed it though! And if I don't update before then...Happy New Year everyone!

  


_Ohayo/Ohayo gozaimasu_ - good morning

_Gomen/Gomen nasai - _I'm sorry__

_Arigato/Arigato gozaimasu_ - thank you__

_Hai_ - yes__

_Kanrinin_ - manager__

_Ano_ - um__

_Ronin_ - student who didn't pass the college entrance exams__

_Kami_ - god

_Douitashimashite_ - you are welcome__

_Oniichan - _cute form of "older brother"


End file.
